Solstice
by toraffles
Summary: When Luffy loses to Crocodile in the Tomb of the Kings, the only way to save her friends is by vowing herself to him for a year. The world is torn by shockwaves as Luffy learns what it means to submit to this Shichibukai, and the consequences of her actions spiral into the future. Fem!Luffy. CrocodilexLuffy
1. Winter Solstice

**Solstice  
**

* * *

Full Summary:

In canon, Luffy was capable of winning his battle with Crocodile only by losing consciousness before arriving at the Royal Tomb. Perhaps Luffy had not taken that well-deserved rest. Perhaps, for whatever inexplicable reason, she loses to Crocodile. Perhaps the only way to save her friends is by binding herself to him for a year. The world is shaken by shockwaves as Luffy learns what it means to submit to a Shichibukai... and the consequences of her actions spiral into the future. For the world. For Alabasta. For the Strawhat Pirates. For Portgas D. Ace. And for Luffy herself.

* * *

_winter solstice_

_when the sun has reached its lowest point in the sky; the darkest day of the year_

* * *

"He disappeared! Where did he..."

"Oi!"

King Cobra's quiet voice echoed through the chamber. "Strawhat girl..."

Robin choked on air as she felt herself being forcefully pushed to the side. "W-what is - " She gasped. "Mugiwara..."

Battered nearly beyond recognition, with bruises upon bruises layering the pale skin, Nico Robin nonetheless had never seen anything as proud as the small back that stood protectively over her at that moment.

Crocodile's eyes narrowed in shock. "How are you still alive?"

"Why are you attacking your own nakama?!"

"Nakama?" He let out a bark of amusement. "Ridiculous. That woman is as treacherous as they come. And I…" He dissolved into sand and reappeared in the air above her with a vicious grin. Robin grit her teeth and met the irises of her personal grim reaper. "I never trusted anyone from the very beginning!"

Monkey D. Luffy welcomed the attack with her foot, kicking it away before the savage edge could meet its mark.

The Shichibukai swung his right arm out, still grinning. "Ho? Are you that impatient for my attention? Calm yourself, little girl, you'll get your turn." A wave of sand followed in its wake, cutting swiftly towards the female D's head as his left flew towards the archaeologist's heart. The girl dodged. Robin tried to scramble away as well, but that changed her fate only by a marginal degree.

The Demon of Ohara's spine arced up as a golden hook speared through her abdomen and emerged through her back, red dribbling from her lips. Her limp body was shaken off of the hook like a throwaway rag doll.

"Bastard!" Mugiwara roared, flying at Crocodile with a flurry of bloody punches. The initial few impacted, to the shock of both former Baroque Works leaders, but the rest he avoided by leaping backwards.

_Why does she care so much?_ Robin wondered idly, as she vomited liquid iron onto the floor.

* * *

**AN**

This chapter does not have many visible changes from canon. Please read the next before deciding to discontinue the story (or, hopefully, not). :)

This will be a little dark, but definitely not as much it could be. It's also the first story where I'll have written explicit mature scenes, which will appear starting chapter 14. Also, because Luffy is Luffy, so... I'm not sure how well that'll go... Ah, well, we'll see.

This story is part of the Sol universe, only with deviation in the Alabasta arc, which will definitely not be happening like this (oops spoilers). Some of the slightly different relationships between Luffy and certain people will be explained in my other story Sol Invictus (the main story), where I explore fem!Luffy's adventures. It won't really play a big part in this story; in fact, it's entirely unnecessary for you guys to read that story to follow this one. Reading it is just a suggestion (and not a particularly strong one) in case you guys are curious about the motives for a certain character's actions... later.


	2. Act I: tick-tock

**Solstice**

* * *

_tick-tock_

* * *

Luffy threw herself at her enemy with an enraged shout lingering on her lips. A wave of exhaustion thundered through her like an earthquake, making her stumble before she could reach her target.

"Kuhahaha… I would ask how many more times I have to kill you until you die, but the answer is quite clear." He smirked and slid his golden hook off, revealing the sheen of the more menacing silver hidden beneath. A noxious smell perfumed the air between them. "I'll take you seriously this time... so just once more should do the trick."

Hits landed, but they were not half as strong as they should be. They fought, and Luffy knew she was only standing through pure will alone. If she so much as allowed herself a chance to catch her breath she would collapse and then it would be all over then she would have failed her nakama would have failed Vivi.

She couldn't lose, she couldn't lose, she couldn't lose, she couldn't lose, _she could not lose_

Luffy bulleted herself at Crocodile for what had to be the hundredth time since the onset of this battle. He dodged it. She crashed into a wall of the crypt.

She tried to launch herself out of the crater of rock in which she lay.

She couldn't.

"Eh?"

Luffy tried to clench her fingers into a fist. The only response from her extremities was an almost imperceptible twitch.

No. No. No no no no no no _nononono_

A hand - hot, scorching, searing, like the burning sands of the desert when the sun was highest in the sky - reached around her neck and lifted her into the air. She hissed at the slow ache of suffocation and at the staccato chuckle that echoed everywhere behind her eyes and between her temples, and, fuck, she hated it, she _HATED IT_

"Looks like you've reached the end of your rope, Mugiwara."

She tried to kick him but her legs wouldn't move wouldn't budge an inch so she settled for a venomous glare and a "Fuck you," spat out with the most malice she could muster.

A wicked point dug into the dip of her jugular notch. Blood oozed from the wound and mingled lazily with the droplets of poison eating through her skin. "Any last words, little girl?"

She wasn't scared of death, but there were too many things to say and no one she wanted to hear them, so she stayed silent.

Unprovoked, the hand around her neck suddenly squeezed tighter.

Crocodile growled at her. "What's so funny?"

"W-what… are you… talking about…?" she managed to wheeze out.

"Do you not understand the situation? You are going to _die_," he snapped. "I am going to kill you, once and for all. Your pretty little head is going to roll on this dirt floor."

"I... know."

"So why are you smiling?! Why do your eyes still burn?!"

She twitched the corners of her mouth and realised that they had indeed been curved upwards.

She hadn't even noticed because all she could think of was that, the one thing she was certain of was that, "I'm... going... to be... Pirate... King...!"

He hissed in disbelief, and for an unbearable moment, his grip around her throat became so crushing she went dizzy from the pain.


	3. Act I: goes

**Solstice**

* * *

_goes_

* * *

And then it loosened and she gulped down several lungfuls of precious, precious air.

"Say, little one," the Warlord abruptly began, his voice like silk. "How would you like to make a deal with me?"

Her eyes - one swollen, one bloodshot - went wide. "A deal?"

"I will spare the lives of the royal family - no, the entirety of Alabasta, including Yuba and that decrepit old man. The war will be stopped, and your crewmates will be allowed to go free without further harm. In exchange," he brought her in closer to him, forcing her to tilt her head further back to maintain eye contact. "For one year, you will become my faithful... _pet_. You will obey my every order. You will submit all of yourself to me, and only me." He smirked at her. "So, little one, what say you to these terms?"

"Save her and the marines too," Luffy added, shifting her eyes to glance to Miss All-Sunday, slumped against a far wall.

"Nico Robin?" Crocodile also threw the woman a glance, as if to say, 'That inconsequential person?' "And the marines...?" He gave her a long, considering look, and then said, "Fine."

She smiled at him. It was cracked and splintered and drooping with exhaustion but it was a little bit impossibly relieved too. She hadn't won, hadn't beaten him, but she hadn't lost yet, wouldn't lose until she was dead dead dead and as long as everyone was alive, there was still another chance. She could survive a year of hell. "What's that... So you're not such a horrible guy after all."

"Your answer, Mugiwara."

"After the year is over?"

He chuckled. "You will be free to pursue the throne of the seas, if that is what you still desire. Of course, that's only if your 'nakama' are still waiting for you."

"They will be," she told him, her voice feeble but her confidence implacable.

"We shall see."

If that was all, then...

Luffy managed to push a wisping, "Yes," from her throat. There was something about the way he spoke that snagged at her but she couldn't grasp onto her fractured thoughts long enough to puzzle it out.

The world turned black around her.

* * *

**AN**

Luffy either would have said no to the depths of hell, or she would agree easily. Guess which made my life easier?


	4. Act I: the clock

**Solstice**

* * *

_the clock_

* * *

Vivi froze in horror as the face of the clock tower opened to reveal a gigantic cannon directed at the palace.

_'It isn't four-thirty yet!'_

No, no, no, this couldn't be happening, this couldn't be happening, Alabasta could not die like this, _her people_ could not die like this -

She ran - stumbled - crawled towards the clock tower, towards the war, in a desperate attempt to do something, _anything _-

"_NO!_" The cannon was fired and she could see death in the growing shadow of the bomb. The battle began to sputter out in places where both royalists and rebels glanced up in shock, but it was already too late for her to feel any measure of comfort from this. In the whistle of bullets, in the din of enraged screams, she could hear the toll of bells being rung and her eyes tunneled from the sheer despair coursing through her veins. And loathing, so much loathing, she couldn't breathe because this one thought was filling her to the brim and overflowing

_'I HATE YOU! CROCODILE!'_

A dry breeze passed by her, fluttering strands of blue in its wake.


	5. Act I: and what

**Solstice**

* * *

_and what_

* * *

"Sir Crocodile?!"

Vivi's head snapped up.

Her eyes widened at the sight of the familiar figure that swooped towards the falling bomb, sand trailing from his entire body. The Shichibukai grabbed the iron sphere and began to race higher and higher towards the sun, effectively bringing the bomb away from the shocked masses below.

"W-what?"

Had that fallen from her lips? Or had it been that rebel in the blue jacket? Or maybe the royal soldier with the blond hair? She couldn't even tell the difference anymore.

Higher and higher and higher went the green fur coat, higher and higher and higher, until finally Vivi was blinded by a white eruption.

Her ears throbbed with the sudden abuse the hairs on the backs of her arms shrunk into her skin from the heat she couldn't tell if her eyes were opened or closed

Her hearing came back first.

"...codile!"

"The Shichibukai Crocodile!"

"What was that?"

"Wasn't that was the hero of Alabasta, Crocodile-sama?"

"He saved us?"

"Who shot that bomb!?"

"Crocodile-san... died saving all of us?!"

"Oi, you," said a voice that immediately set Vivi's blood to boiling. She blinked rapidly, trying to recover her vision so she could see what was going on. "Don't kill off people so easily."

"SIR CROCODILE! YOU'RE ALIVE!"

Why would Crocodile set a bomb if he was just going to do something like this? No, more importantly, if Crocodile was here, didn't that mean… Luffy! Where was Luffy? Had she lost? Had she di-

No, not that. Not ever that. She had to believe that Luffy was still alive. _She had to._


	6. Act I: then

**Solstice**

* * *

_then_

* * *

The cloud over Vivi's eyes slowly began to fade away, revealing blocks of colour and in front of her was something white and red and black, though she couldn't yet make out the details

"Rebels. Royalists. People of Alabasta."

she could just discern the edge of where white met the brown of dirt, and a bloom of red directly in the center

"In this war… you have all lost much. Whether in this decisive battle of Alubarna or in the arduous years of past, too many have died. Too many have suffered!"

was that fur? yes, a fur coat, a white fur coat, and the black was… hair?

"As the turmoil in this country built, I have stood by quietly for these past three years. But no more!"

sleek black hair and a white fur coat and the red seeping through was blood and she would recognize that face anywhere, but what was Miss All-Sunday doing here, in front of her, in this kind of state, while that damned Crocodile was over there

"The man who arranged for that bomb to be shot was none other than your king, Nefertari Cobra! In order to quell this rebellion, he was willing to kill even his own soldiers!"

spreading these kinds of outrageous lies, surely no one would believe him, surely, surely not

"Like the country itself, the people of Alabasta are magnificent and hardy, able to thrive in even the worst conditions. But even the most enduring of people cannot survive death, and even the most stalwart of lands cannot survive such a travesty. Having discovered this plot, of course I could not remain still! A man who would run like a coward from his own civil war! A man who would ravage his own country with his selfishness! I cannot leave this noble country to its death at the hands of such a man!"

how could he do such despicable things and blame her father for them but where was her father what had he done to him and why were the soldiers beginning to look betrayed where were Pell and Chaka and the Strawhats and Luffy where was anybody

_why is this happening_

"I am Sir Crocodile of the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea! And I declare that the country of Alabasta is under my protection! This war… is over!"

A droplet of moisture landed on the man's shoulder. And another, and another, and suddenly, it was raining, pouring, the skies were opening up and crying for the first time in three years.

Silence had flooded the entire battlefield the moment that man had begun talking, but slowly, slowly, clinks filled the air as people dropped their guns and swords and shields. Whispers of "Sir Crocodile," and "Crocodile-sama…" and "All hail our new king!" echoed through dust and rock and sand and Vivi scraped her nails against the packed dirt underneath and soundlessly screamed.

* * *

**AN**

I dunno, I just feel like Crocodile would be really good at rhetorical speech if he tried.


	7. Act I: shall we

**Solstice**

* * *

_shall we_

* * *

"Despair suits you quite well, 'Princess' Vivi."

"You! _You_ \- !" Short, cracked nails left bloody welts against the flesh of her palms and Vivi had never despised someone so much in her entire life, had never even imagined it possible. Her body strained with the weight of it, smoldering in her gut and her heart and her throat and behind her eyes. "_**Crocodile!**_"

"Your weakling of a father and those two guards are currently contained in the dungeons of your very own castle. Kohza as well. The world works in amusing ways, doesn't it?"

"Luffy said - Luffy said she would defeat you! She promised! She _promised_! Where is she?!"

"Ho… What a spoiled girl. Mugiwara saved your country, and not an ounce of gratitude." He walked off into the downpour with a chuckle. "With a friend like you, an enemy like myself seems almost redundant." And then, finally, "Keep that woman, if you wish. I have no need for her anymore."

Saved? How had Alabasta possibly been saved? Under the thumb of a man like this... HOW HAD ALABASTA POSSIBLY BEEN SAVED?

(But still, a part of Vivi detachedly wondered... Why, after all his talk of death and destruction, had Crocodile chosen this path in the end?)

(And _where was Luffy?_)


	8. Act I: see?

**Solstice**

* * *

_see_

* * *

Long lashes fluttered slowly opened to an unfamiliar ceiling. This was not her bed. These were not her sheets. This was not the Merry-Go. Where was she? Why was her body so sore? Her injuries hadn't been so bad that Chopper wouldn't be able to patch her up good as new.

"Me...at…" she rasped out. Her fingers twitched in the restraint of bandages as she laboriously pushed herself into a sitting position. Her eyes peered unseeingly at the room around her for a moment, before zeroing on a familiar figure sitting in a large armchair, casually reading a newspaper. "Cro-" her voice fractured, so she tried again. "Crocodile!"

"So you're awake, sukoshi? There's water on the table beside you."

'_Little_'? What was up with that? So condescending.

"Why a-re you… W-hy am... I..."

He finally looked up from his paper to smirk at her. "Ara, you don't remember? And after I did all that for you."

_"For one year... You will submit all of yourself to me, and only me. What say you to these terms, little one?"_

Ah.

"N-o... I re-mem-b-er..."

"Drink the damn water already. It's pissing me off to listen to you."

She grit her teeth at the tone, but obeyed. Trembling hands reached for the cup at the bedside table and cool liquid seeped between her lips, soothing the cracks within her throat.

"My… nakama? Vivi?"

"All of your little friends have been sent back to your ship and out to sea. The princess is alive and more than likely with them."

"I see…"

He suddenly gave a bark of a laugh that wiped the smile clear from her mouth. "Not so much of a princess anymore, however."

"What d'you mean?" Luffy asked sharply. "You bastard, you promised you would leave Alabasta alone!"

Crocodile dissolved into air. The first part of him to solidify was his right hand, clenched brutally to her jaw and lifting her from the bed. The rest of the man reappeared behind and around it.

"I promised no such thing," he growled, eyes dark. "I told you that the lives of this country would be spared. I told you that the war would be ended. I have accomplished both. Do not presume to accuse me of breaking my word, _brat_."


	9. Act I: tick

**Solstice**

* * *

_tick_

* * *

He dropped her and she landed in a crumpled heap. Luffy coughed and tugged at the strange object chiming at her neck.

"Ha! It becomes you, little girl."

"What is this?"

"Kittens have collars, do they not? I believed it would befit one such as you."

The bell jingled merrily between her fingers as she glared.

"Crocodile, you - "

"Brat. You may address me only as Crocodile-sama, or Master. Preferably the second, but I don't expect much from you."

"That's - "

"I wonder how many more sandstorms Yuba could take," he said idly, glancing indifferently out of the open window. The sky was dark and moist against the cold light of the moon. "Two? Three? Eight?"

Her fingers curled against the bedsheets and she gnashed her teeth together. "Crocodile…_sama_."

He smirked at her triumphantly.

Bastard. _Bastard!_

Luffy had always been a fiercely autonomous girl. Fiercely autonomous, and fiercely proud. Subjecting herself to another's threats, playing by someone else's rules... It grated on her nerves to the point where she wanted to claw her nails down her arms to get rid of the feeling. But capitulating to her natural instincts (_punch him pummel him declare war war war_) would mean failing her duties as captain. Someone who couldn't even tamp down her pride for the sake of the crew... Well, that kind of person didn't deserve to be Pirate King.

_One year_, she told herself, hands clenching tightly into the sheets. _Just one year._

"Can you stand?" Luffy blinked at the non sequitur, but nonetheless slid off the bed and stood on wobbly legs. She took a shaky step, another, and then nodded crisply. "Come, sukoshi. I would be remiss in my duty as your master - " she worked her jaw in an attempt to stay quiet " - if I did not feed you."

* * *

**AN**

Update spam because I have midterms all next week. I actually have no idea what I'm doing with this story; writing and posting this was a supremely spur of the moment thing, more so than any of my other stories. The characters are pretty much just carrying themselves, so I haven't the faintest clue where this is going - please bear with my aimless floundering. ^^""


	10. Act I: tock

**Solstice**

* * *

_tock_

* * *

Luffy trailed after him as he strode down the wide, open halls, glancing from side to side in interest. "Where is this?"

"The Alubarna Palace."

Vivi's home, she realized with a silent hiss. And this bastard was strutting around like it was _his_.

As if he had read her mind, Crocodile said, "As the new king of Alabasta, this palace belongs to me now. Along with everything in this country."

_Jerk._ She would defeat him once their deal was over, and she would return everything to Vivi. One year was more than enough time to get stronger.

"Crocodile-ōsama," two servants chorused, bowing as they opened the door.

Within was not the grand dining room where she had, as a kid, imagined kings to have their meals. Instead waited something significantly smaller, an empty room with a fancy table and seating for one. No, now that she looked closer, the large, ornate chair hid a smaller, simpler square desk, low to the ground and piled high with food. Luffy's eyes sparkled at the sight of it.

"Food!" she cheered, rushing towards it. Something caught the back of her shirt and lifted her into the air.

"It appears," said the bastard, dangling her by her scruff, "that I must teach you manners as well." He dropped her on the hard floor in front of the low table. "Sit." She sat, crossing her legs as she usually did. He pushed her over with the toe of his shoe.

"What - ?"

"No. Legs folded under."

"But..."

"Legs. Folded under."

She scowled and folded her calves under her thighs, sitting with her back straight as Nami and Vivi often did. For the sake of her own temper, she pretended not to have seen the smug look on Crocodile's face as he reclined himself into the only chair in the room.

Spotting her hands moving towards the meat, he said, "Stop."

She reluctantly stopped and watched as Crocodile leisurely picked up his fork and knife. He stabbed the steak set in front of him and slowly began to saw at it, slicing off a single morsel that was then brought to his mouth. Her fingers twitched spastically with desire. He chewed as if there was all the time in the world, as if Luffy wasn't boring a hole into him with her eyes. "Now." Finally, _finally_, he said, "You may eat."


	11. Act I: until

**Solstice**

* * *

_until_

* * *

Luffy patted her belly. "Ah, that was delicious."

_(Though Sanji's would have been better.)_

Crocodile gave her an aside glance. "More?"

She sat up straighter, eyes bright. "Yeah!"

"Come."

She went.

"Sit."

She sat where he gestured, right next to his knee, so close she could rest her head on it if she wanted.

"Eat." His own fork was brought down to her mouth, a square of meat glistening invitingly on the tongs. She reached to grab the fork with her hand, but it was flicked away with a warning glare.

Well, she'd never had any compunction against sharing utensils, she thought, craning up to take the piece with her teeth. But why was there such a bad taste in her mouth, even though the steak was so delicious? She just felt so... bad. Like a festering wound within, angry and frustrated and she wanted to punch that conceited sneer right off his face, but she couldn't because she had said she would submit.

What did that mean anyway, 'to submit'? Why had he offered this deal? From what she could see, it hadn't been to his detriment, but it hadn't been to his benefit either, since all he got from it that he wouldn't otherwise was Luffy, and she knew she wasn't anything special at this point in time, she wasn't Pirate King yet, didn't even have the right to see Shanks again.

She didn't understand.


	12. Act I: the day

**Solstice**

* * *

_the day_

* * *

Having been cramped in a single position for longer than they had ever had to endure before, her legs decided that their pain had to be known to the world and accosted her with the horrible feeling of little needles stabbing into her skin. She jumped, slamming her head against the dining table. A clink of glass, and something colored a deep red was spilling over the edge of wood and onto the floor.

Crocodile coldly glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "Clean it up." She looked around for napkins, but then he said, "With your tongue."

"What?"

"Didn't you hear me? I said to lick up your mess."

A hand came out of nowhere and shoved her head nearly against the ground, her nose a hairsbreadth from touching wood.

Luffy took a deep breath, thought of her friends, and tentatively swiped out.

"Kuhahahaha! That's a good look on you, sukoshi!" he said, reclining into his chair. He looked coldly down at her as she crawled along on her hands and knees, stretching out her tongue to lap up the wine.

_At least_, she thought, nails digging gouges into the wood, _At least the wine is sweet and not bitter._

Zoro would be so angry if he saw her right now. He would shout at her to just beat the Crocodile bastard up and be done with it. Nami and Usopp, too. Sanji would yell at Crocodile about treating a woman better, and Chopper might cry. Vivi would definitely be tearing up, that crybaby.

They were why she was doing this. For her friends. It wasn't forever either, just one year. She could do this. She could.

And then she would be strong enough to send him flying.

"Enough."

She stopped.

"You got some on my shoes as well. Clean them."

Luffy shuffled closer and met her eyes with his, glaring viciously as she bent down and swirled her tongue against hard black leather. She licked every droplet of wine that she could see, and then moved on to the other one. When she finished, she glanced up again, steeling herself for another pompous grin.

Instead, Crocodile's mouth was set in a faint curve, lips slightly parted. His eyes gleamed with something that raised gooseflesh on her arms and sent unpleasant shivers down her spine.


	13. Act I: thou -temporarily blank-

**AN**

apologies, have to blank out these chapter for a while ^^;;

(my friends found my account, and the content here is hmmm... questionable? ;-;)


	14. Act I: shalt -temporarily blank-

**AN**

apologies, have to blank out these chapter for a while ^^;;

(my friends found my account, and the content here is hmmm... questionable? ;-;)


	15. Act I: marry -temporarily blank-

**AN**

apologies, have to blank out these chapter for a while ^^;;

(my friends found my account, and the content here is hmmm... questionable? ;-;)


	16. Act I: me -temporarily blank-

**AN**

apologies, have to blank out these chapter for a while ^^;;

(my friends found my account, and the content here is hmmm... questionable? ;-;)


	17. Act II: tick-tock -temporarily blank-

**AN**

apologies, have to blank out these chapter for a while ^^;;

(my friends found my account, and the content here is hmmm... questionable? ;-;)


	18. Act II: goes the clock -temp blank-

**AN**

apologies, have to blank out these chapter for a while ^^;;

(my friends found my account, and the content here is hmmm... questionable? ;-;)


	19. Act II: now

**Solstice**

* * *

_now_

* * *

Luffy strode across the empty room entirely bare but for the towel draped over her head, searching for clothes.

Sure, she could put that white dress back on, but, one, she didn't want to and two - No, that was pretty much it. She didn't want to. It was so restraining. And she could just go around without clothes, but gramps had long driven in the painful message that such a thing was Never To Be Done, something that Nami had later expounded upon with her fists.

She made a beeline to the dresser nearest to her, large and ornate and likely to hold clothing, and pulled open a drawer to find several stacks of neatly folded white shirts. Crocodile's, she was sure. He wouldn't mind if she borrowed one, right?

She tugged one out and pulled her arms through the large sleeves. On Crocodile, the shirt would have been well fitted, tailored to meet every contour of his body, but on her it draped like a mantle, the hem falling nearly to her knees. If she buttoned it up, she was pretty sure she would sufficiently meet Nami's Acceptable In Public quota.

_Okay! Time to explore the castle!_

Because what was the point of such a big house if not to explore?

(_Though... it would have been better if Usopp was here to explore with her._)


	20. Act II: hope

**Solstice**

* * *

_hope_

* * *

Roronoa Zoro leaned against the wood of the Merry-Go's railing, his expression placid. His eyes were closed and the lines of his face were lax, as if in sleep.

The white grip he had on his sword exposed this front for the lie that it was. Had Wado Ichimonji been any lesser of a sword, it would have broken under his fingers already.

The ship was devoid of its usual noises of merriment. No one was in the mood for laughing, not when their captain may be...

Well, it was best not to indulge in such morbid thoughts. There was a high possibility - probability - that she had been captured by that Shichibukai fucker, but that didn't necessarily mean the worst. There was no use in allowing himself to plunge down the slippery slope that waited with wide, serpentine jaws; Luffy had the devil's luck, after all.

_except_

_when she didn't_

[Shut the fuck up.]

The urge to slam his head against a hard surface built to intolerable levels.

How had he allowed himself to be fooled by that damn okama? He should have - should have _known_. The clothes may have been right, and the wounds, and the face, and the security mark (_x marks the spot_), and the straw hat, especially the straw hat, but he _should have known_.

No. No, he _had_ known. Had known that there was something off, known that Luffy had been _wrong_, somehow, and that only made it worse. He had been fooled by the hat, secure in the knowledge that Luffy would never, ever, willingly hand her hat over to someone who wasn't one of them. Hadn't even considered that perhaps it hadn't been so willing after all.

They had been fooled for two full days, thinking that Luffy's strange reticence had been caused by leaving Vivi suddenly and without a single word. There hadn't even been an explanation as to why they had left so quickly, even though so many promises of a feast had been exchanged. Though it had never lasted longer than a day before she did that sometimes, retreated into herself for various periods of time and spoke barely a word to anyone.

He hated it when it happened, but it did, and he knew to just let her be.

Except on the third day, yesterday morning, while taking a look at her injuries, Chopper had nearly pushed Luffy's left hand against her cheek by accident. And then she had shouted at him.

_Luffy _had gotten mad at _Chopper_. Not a mere fit of sulkiness, but truly, sincerely enraged.

And that was when they knew something was very, very, wrong.

The sea witch had immediately turned the Merry-Go around with the eternal lock post she'd kept in secret. While normally Zoro would scoff at such useless sentimentality, just this once he was grateful for it, even as he and the shitty cook had beat the imposter to the truth.

Tears streaming from his eyes and apologies pouring out of his mouth in a torrent, Mister Two had explained the situation as he understood it the best he could. That the only way to keep them - the crew - safe from Crocodile was by bringing them away from Alabasta.

As if anyone cared about that.

Unlike many pirate crews (or perhaps_ just like_ the greatest of them all), the Strawhats had nothing in common except fantastical goals that just so happened to run in tandem and the captain for whom they would throw it all away. The girl would never, ever ask them to do such a thing, would _die_ before she let their dreams be abandoned, would throw away even her own single-minded search for the throne of freedom, but that was the truth of it: Luffy was the glue holding these misfits together, and every single one of her nakama would personally choke out their own lives and cast their dreams to the endless depths of the sea if that was what she needed of them. Abandoning her to a crocodile's lair to save their own hides?

Such a thing was entirely out of the question. Because there was nothing more sickening than realizing Luffy was in that fucker's possession. Or if she wasn't, she most certainly had been. That the Shichibukai had been able to take Luffy's hat from her spoke volumes of her physical state.

And her clothes. Her clothes. _All of them_.

_Don't think about it don't think about it (down that path monsters lay writhing)_

They hadn't stopped Mister Two from leaving. No one had felt up to it.

What had happened? What the _fuck _had happened? Luffy had lost to Crocodile, that much was apparent, but why had that shitface gone out of his way to get the Mugiwara Pirates out of Alabasta? If he had beaten Luffy, then - and Zoro hated to admit it, but - the rest of them should be easy prey, especially with the wounds they had suffered from the other Baroque Works officers. And why had he kept her? Logic dictated that Luffy would be alive, that Mister Zero wouldn't do such things if he was just going to kill Luffy anyway... but why?

His captain was an attractive woman. Nami knew it. Usopp knew it. The pervert cook more than knew it. He himself knew it very well. Anyone with working eyes and a human constitution knew it. However, a heartless piece of shit who would drag an entire country to ruin just for his selfish ambition, without any regard to human life, wouldn't be so easily swayed by something so superficial.

But then again, Luffy was also frighteningly charismatic. How would that affect a deranged, power hungry man like him - ?


	21. Act II: has gone away

**Solstice**

* * *

_has gone away_

* * *

A whisper in the air.

Zoro drew his sword faster than a breath and held it against the Shichibukai Crocodile's throat. The heel of a black shoe pressed against the man's spine, but Zoro did not allow his eyes to stray from the threat in front of him.

"How rude," the bastard drawled. "No 'thank you for sparing our lives'?"

"Where is she."

"How about 'Please take good care of my captain'?"

"_Where is she_."

"Because I assure you, I am taking _very _good care of the little one," Crocodile said, filthy suggestion in his voice and malicious laughter dancing in the slant of his eyes.

"YOU MOTHERFUCKER," Zoro roared, his eyes murderous. Sanji may have shouted something as well, but he couldn't hear over the rush of blood in his ears.

He watched as his sword cleaved the bastard's smug face clear from his throat, watched a black leg strike with enough force to devastate a battleship, watched as two matching shockwaves were sent out to sea, watched everything dissolve into sand and swirl mockingly in the air.

Back when they had left Whiskey Peak, Miss All-Sunday had sat atop the railing on the upper deck, looking disdainfully at them all. Now, Crocodile reappeared with his feet on the same railing, and Zoro felt the irrational need to tear the fence right out of the deck so these motherfuckers wouldn't have anywhere to sneer down at them from.

"Kuhahahaha! How barbaric! I can see why sukoshi prefers my company!"

"To what?" the shitty cook shot back. "A slug?"

"Oi, ero-cook. She'd prefer the slug."

"Oh, you're right, shitty swordsman. She would, wouldn't she?"

Crocodile's brow twitched in irritation, and Zoro felt vindictive satisfaction shoot through him. "Impudent brats." And then it was gone, leaving behind only an arrogant smirk that made the swordsman want to just forget reason and _gut him_. "And even though I spared your lives out of pity. You have so much faith in your captain… But for how long will you wait for a captain who's left you for dead? One week? One month? One year?"

"One million years!" Usopp's voice called. Zoro took a moment to glance at the younger male. As expected, the boy's legs were shaking, but the set of his shoulders was strong and his conviction unyielding. The swordsman allowed himself a proud smirk. "For Luffy, we'll wait one million years and more!"

"That sounds about right." The sea witch stepped out from the helmsroom with her rod in hand. "Luckily, it won't take nearly that much time if _we _go to _her _instead."

"So you still have an eternal post, do you?"

Nami stiffened in shock. "How did you - ?"

Sand began to trail out of the man's fingers until his right hand dissolved into nothing and a stream of tan sped into the open door. A horrified Nami dashed back into the cabin, and the rest of the Mugiwara Pirates on deck (where was Chopper?) lunged towards the Shichibukai, but it was already too late. The eternal lock post to Alabasta flew out on a cloud of sand that reformed into the fucker's hand.

"I suppose this is your only hope to getting sukoshi back." The glass sphere lay innocently in the large, squared palm.

And then it began to slowly crumble to dust.

"NO!"

"STOP IT! STOP!"

"YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!"

Zoro let out a vicious snarl as he leapt into the air, his swords curved over his shoulder. All three blades phased right through the fuckhead.

"No! Stop it! Let go, you bastard! This is Luffy's!"

Everyone's heads snapped to the mast as the trapdoor to the men's bunker burst off its hinges. A large golden hook emerged from the entrance, and attached to it was Luffy's straw hat and Chopper in human form, struggling to keep hold of their captain's treasure. Everyone watched in shock as Chopper was thrown off with ease and the hook hurtled back to Crocodile, whose left arm emerged from his coat for the first time since arriving on the ship.

"The little one wants her hat back, so I'll be taking this." The straw hat was carelessly balanced on the hook, and the bastard smirked smugly at them all. "My suggestion is that you disband yourselves now. It would certainly save sukoshi a lot of trouble."

Every Mugiwara Pirate launched an infuriated attack on Crocodile's head. None connected.

"Kuhahahahaha!"

Fuck_. Fuck. FUCK._

_I'LL TEAR HIM_

_LIMB FROM FUCKING LIMB_

_I'LL SPRAY HIS FILTHY BLOOD_

_ALL OVER THE DAMN DESERT_

_I'LL HOLD THE WORTHLESS MOTHERFUCKER DOWN_

_AND HACK HIS GODDAMN DICK OFF_

_I'LL_

_I'LL_

_I'LL KILL THAT COCKSUCKER IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO_

Zoro let out a wordless roar of rage.


	22. Act II: tick

**Solstice**

* * *

_tick_

* * *

Bare feet silent against warm marble, Luffy padded down the long palace hall in search of some sort of adventure. Having found the kitchen earlier, she wasn't hungry, but she was so, so bored. The sun streamed in from the series of tall windows to her right, facing out to a courtyard of some kind. Inhumanly sharp ears picked up the chattering of several voices from around the corner, and she slowed to hear it better.

"Have you seen Sir Crocodile's concubine yet?"

Luffy hereby dubbed this woman... Steak.

"You mean that girl he personally brought to the infirmary a few days ago?" This girl could be Pork.

"Yeah, her! Have you seen her awake yet? She's so pretty!" Steak said.

"Tch. I'm a hundred times more beautiful than her." And this woman… Hmm… Bacon.

"Excuse you, I'm way more suitable for Crocodile-ōsama than you or that little whore." Luffy didn't like this one. She would be Veggie Patty. She liked vegetables, but veggie patties were mean because they pretended to be meat even though they actually weren't. (Those swindlers.)

Pork spoke next. "Have you looked in the mirror recently?"

"Girls. Behave yourselves," said... Beef.

"But don't you think they look lovely together?" asked Steak.

"I don't know… The age gap is a bit much, don't you think?" She could be Chicken. Or maybe Crab? Nah, Chicken. "And we don't know if she's actually his concubine…"

Steak giggled. "Don't be silly! Things like age are nothing in the face of true love!"

"You're the one being silly. 'Love'? There's no proof that they're actually sleeping together, and even if they are, she's probably just warming his bed until he finds an actual woman to become his queen," said Veggie Patty.

"What, and you think you're the woman for the job?" Pork scoffed.

"Her? She's nothing," Bacon disdainfully sniffed. "Once Sir Crocodile takes a good long look at me, _I'll _be the one standing next to his throne."

There was a scathing titter from Veggie Patty. "_You_? Ha! Get your head out of the clouds, before you trip and hurt yourself."

"Girls! I said calm down!" Beef snapped. "If any of you get into a fight, it'll be all our necks."

"But, you know," Chicken mumbled. "Even if she _is _a concubine… She's so lucky, having Crocodile-sama's undivided attention."

Having Croc-bastard's undivided attention sounded pretty awful to her. Whoever this 'con-cu-bine' girl was, Luffy wished her luck. She'd definitely need it.

(And what was a 'concubine', anyway?)

There was a noise of unanimous agreement.

"What I wouldn't give to have Crocodile-sama look twice at me," Pork sighed.

Steak giggled in response. "He's so handsome and kind! I bet he's really gentle in bed!"

Luffy made a doubtful face, even though nobody could see her. Whenever _she _was in bed, the bastard always ended up choking her for one reason or another. These people had really weird definitions of gentle.

Beef shushed them all. "I think I see Luffy-sama through the window."

Silence, and then Luffy took the last several steps and turned the corner. The wall to her right gave way to evenly spaced pillars with easy access to the courtyard she'd seen through the windows, allowing for a shaded place to retreat to when the sun became too hot. Currently, colourful fabrics were being hung to dry in neat lines by six women, scattered across the open space. She recognized Chicken straight away from the meek curl of her shoulders, and those two women were either Bacon or Veggie Patty. That no-nonsense lady over there had to be Beef, and the girl peeking up at her with a bright grin was probably Steak.

"Why are you all bowing?" Luffy asked curiously. "Crocodile isn't here, you know."

Someone gave a startled meep, and she turned to look at Chicken.

"Wow, that looks really heavy! Here, I'll help too!" Luffy began to trot over to the girl. Protests came in from all sides.

"Ah, Luffy-sama! Please, your injuries...!"

"I wasn't that hurt," Luffy said, easily hefting Chicken's laundry basket onto a shoulder and an extra one onto the other. "And I ate meat so now I'm all better!"

"Luffy-sama, please! You might anger Crocodile-ōsama!"

"Eh? Why would Crocodile - " (another subdued gasp) " - be mad?" Why were they so against her helping out? Did they think she would ruin the laundry? "Back on my ship my crew and I did this all the time," she assured them. She dropped her burdens at the end of an empty line and shook out the topmost sheet, throwing it over the line and reaching up on her tiptoes to attach the clip. She turned back to them with a proud beam that said, _see?_

"Please consider our positions," someone said cooly. Calculative eyes stared down at her. Luffy was willing to bet this tablecloth that it was Veggie Patty. "If you dirty your hands with such menial tasks, we will be the ones to shoulder the blame."

"I have no idea what that means," she said blankly. 'Menial'? What a uselessly difficult word. Nonetheless, she put a fist to her hip and grinned at them. "But if anyone says anything, I'll beat 'em up for you!"

* * *

**AN**

And now I realize I should clarify that although this is in the same universe as Sol Invictus, this Luffy is not the same as that Luffy. Solstice!Luffy is just normal femLuffy, without the extra knowledge or memories.


	23. Act II: tock

**Solstice**

* * *

_tock_

* * *

After a bit more convincing - more specifically, after several minutes of the servants trying to convince Luffy why this was a bad idea and Luffy being her usual stubborn self - the women settled back to their work, acknowledging that nothing could be done for the king's concubine.

What else could she be, walking around in what had to be Crocodile-ōsama shirt, and discarding his title altogether?

Charla shook out a white shirt from the king's pile of laundry and discreetly held it up in the air, comparing it to what Luffy-sama was wearing. Yes, definitely Sir Crocodile's shirt, she thought, with a silent squeal. How cute! How romantic! How lucky! And to call him only by his given name? How intimate!

Patricia, in contrast, was less than pleased, because how dare that inflated prostitute do this to her? If someone with proper authority came passing by and saw what was happening, it would be _their _jobs on the line. Without a doubt, that airhead would just go 'Oh, I didn't know' and she would be forgiven in an instant, being under the king's favour as she was, but _they _would be fired for 'allowing the lady to work' or some ridiculous thing like that.

And Butan, well… She found this eccentric girl rather refreshing. 'Ore'*? 'Beat 'em up'? She was straightforward - if, perhaps, a little inelegant - in a way that she'd heard that ex-princess Vivi had nearly been. Besides, the maid was far more interested in _other _things.

"Say, Luffy-sama…" she began gingerly. She cast her gaze around to see if that prudish Bipa was within hearing distance. She wasn't. "Have you… bedded Crocodile-sama yet?"

"Hm?" the girl asked, cocking her head. "Have I been in his bed?"

"Shh, not so loud, please," she said, waving her hands. "But yes… have you?"

"Ah, uhn. I have. Why?"

But there was no way Crocodile-sama was married; the whole world would have heard about something like that. And this girl was definitely his woman. So she was either his betrothed, or his concubine, or something of that sort.

Well, there was that question settled.

"How- how was it?"

The girl gave her a confused look, but answered readily. "Well, really big, for one. Really, _really _big. Thick and tall and wide too. And it was really soft, and warm."

Her face flushed red. "W-w-w-wait! Um, I just wanted to know if it was good! Not - not those kinds of details!"

"Oh, it's suuuuper good," Luffy-sama told her with an innocent beam. "Maybe even the best! Though, I guess back on the Merry-Go, my - "

* * *

**AN**

\- *Ore (俺), a rough, extremely masculine way of saying 'I'. This is the word tough guys use. Very, very Not Polite, depending on the situation, could be considered rude or could convey a sense of intimacy (we're close friends, so I don't need to worry about being polite with you). Is traditionally considered rude when speaking to strangers or someone of higher status, though nowadays young men use it even with strangers in all but formal situations. All of the Mugiwara guys use this. Luffy being, well, _Luffy_, I don't think she'd be much different whatever gender (s)he is (absolutely no regard to social norms, raring for a fight, hates being weak), so femLuffy'd probably use the same 'I' as maleLuffy.

\- Yobisute (呼び捨て), lit. 'call' discarded'. To refer to someone without any honorific. A big landmine in Japanese culture. Is either a sign of extreme intimacy (lovers, younger family members, close friends, spouses) or extreme disrespect. Luffy is just being rude/informal as she always is. The servants believe otherwise.


	24. Act II: goes our clock

**Solstice**

* * *

_goes the clock_

* * *

'My bed back on Merry is tons warmer,' Luffy was about say. And, 'even though his bed is super comfortable, I prefer mine a lot more.'

But then she was interrupted by a deep rumble at her back.

"What _are_ you wearing?"

"C-crocodile-ōsama!"

"Oh!" Luffy whirled around, beaming up at the new arrival. "Crocodile!"

"_.._."

"...sama."

He smirked down at her, and Luffy felt the pinch of irritation pull down a corner of her mouth. It was gone in an instant, however, erased by the rush of excitement. "My nakama! How were they? And Boshi, too! Do you have Boshi?"

Crocodile inclined his head at the bowing women and began to stride back into the palace, throwing a "Come," over his shoulder. She trotted eagerly after him. "Your crewmates were loud, I suppose. Crass, rude, and rather... furious."

"Furious?" she asked, eyes wide. "Were they really that mad?"

He looked at her askance. "Quite certainly. And incredibly impatient. Even if you were to search for them, I assure you they will already be at the next island by this time tomorrow. It appears that they cannot wait for you a day, let alone a year."

Luffy paused for a moment, considering his words. And then, for the first time since this strange accord of theirs had begun, she laughed. "I'm glad! If they're that lively, that means no one was hurt too bad!"

Them being mad was a given. She couldn't even count the number of times she'd been yelled at for going off and doing things on her own. Everything always turned out well in the end, but they worried so, her nakama.

She missed them. God, it had only been four days and she missed them this much. She missed them missed them missed them, missed Sanji's unparalleled skill in the kitchen (and his beautiful smile, soft and tender and warm) and Chopper's big starry eyes and Usopp's fantastically wild tales and Nami's fond scolding and Zoro's ridiculous sense of direction (and the way he'd affectionately pat her head just like - )

An arm reached out. "Here."

( - that.)

"This is…" Luffy felt her head, felt the familiar coarse weave under the pads of her fingers. "Boshi!"

Her hat. Shank's hat. She'd felt so vulnerable without it, more bare than if she'd really been naked. Even when she hadn't consciously realized that Boshi was nowhere to be seen, the lack of _presence_ had strained her in a way that she hadn't even noticed until it was bereaved and then returned, leaving behind dim tremors of relief in her fingers.

And... she didn't know how she could possibly face Shanks again if she lost this hat.

Luffy gleefully tilted the straw over her face and breathed in.

_the sea_

_damp wood _

_chopper's musk_

_usopp's spices_

_nami's perfume _

_zoro's aftershave_

_sanji's cologne _

It smelled like... home. Her nakama must have all taken turns holding it close for the smells to be this distinct. Or maybe it was because she was so glad for anything that would bring her closer to her friends, even though they were miles and miles away. In any case, she was truly...

Thankful.


	25. Act II: and what now

**Solstice**

* * *

_and what now_

* * *

"Luffy," Nami began, a day before they were due to land at Nanohana. She was smirking the way she did when she was about to bully Zoro, except Zoro was out on deck and they were in the kitchen, so that couldn't be it. "I'm going to tell you something very important. You can't forget this, okay?"

"Okay! Oh, but food first. I'm hun- "

A manicured hand was clapped over her mouth. "You can't call Sanji-kun, either. This is just between us girls."

"Eh? I was just going to say that I'm hung- "

The hand smacked against her mouth again, and Nami sighed, "It's pretty much the same thing, Luffy." The noirette scratched her head in confusion. "Just - just listen, alright? I'm going to tell you a tip to help you become more powerful."

She brightened and jumped to her feet. "Tell me! Tell me! I wanna know!"

"Okay, okay, calm down." Nami waved her hands at Luffy, who pouted but obligingly sat back down. "Now, whenever does something really nice for you, you feel grateful, right?"

"Of course!"

"And you say, 'thank you', right?"

"Uhn."

"But sometimes, you feel like a simple 'thank you' isn't good enough."

"Yeah?"

"When that happens, all you have to do is... kiss them."

She blinked at her navigator.

"Like this?" Luffy asked, leaning forward and pecking Nami on the cheek.

"No, no, it has to be on the mouth, the mouth. And only for guys. I promise they'll think that's a thousand better than any plain thank you."

"Guys? Like... Chopper?"

"_Human_ guys," she amended.

"My gramps?"

"Human guys who aren't family."

"Usopp?"

"... You know, I think I'll just list out everyone this rule doesn't apply to," Nami groaned, exasperated. "First! No animals! Second! No blood related family members! Third! No women!" A pause. "Or some women... no, that'd be too complicated for you. Yeah, no women. Fourth! No enemies! Fifth! No old geezers or little kids! Sixth! No one who already has another girl that they like!"

_So not Usopp_, Luffy thought. And then she made a petulant face.

"That's too many rules, Nami!"

"Well, you have to remember them all! And tall, powerful, good-looking men are always okay." Her smirk widened. "Especially if they're in our crew. _Especially_ if they're in our crew."

_She said it twice_, Luffy thought. _Why did she say it twice?_

"So... the next time Sanji makes me food, I should kiss him?"

"Yes! Exactly!" The devious smirk widened until it was almost frightening, but then there was a thoughtful pause. "No, nevermind, Luffy. This applies to Sanji, _except_ when he's made food."

"Why?"

"Because if you do something like that, no one else will ever get fed."

"Huh? Why?"

"Just... it's a mystery rule, okay?"

"Ah, okay. A mystery rule. That makes sense."

"... Of course it does."

"But Nami, how'll this help me be stronger?"

"Err, Luffy, weren't you hungry?"

"Ah!" She'd forgotten about that, what with all these rules to think about. "Yeah! You know, I'm super hungry right now."

Less than a moment passed, and the door to the kitchen quietly opened. Sanji's head poked in curiously. "Luffy, did you call me? Or was I just hearing things?"

"Sanji!" she cheered, laughing happily. "Food!"

* * *

_[Final edit: 10/26/2014]_


End file.
